Son Heung-Min

[Kandi1977]

I would love to know how our deadball takers are chosen. Not since Bale has it made any sense.
If I was levy I would have been sacking managers that allowed Harry to take free kicks.

We haven't really had a free kick specialist since Eriksen, who scored 8 in the PL for us, but Sonny scores quite a few for South Korea, so would be my first choice. Why Harry was allowed to continue taking them is a mystery! For such a great player, he is shockingly bad at free kicks.

 

[Bullet]

Son is in the starting line up for the game at noon today

 

[Lemonade Money]

We haven't really had a free kick specialist since Eriksen, who scored 8 in the PL for us, but Sonny scores quite a few for South Korea, so would be my first choice. Why Harry was allowed to continue taking them is a mystery! For such a great player, he is shockingly bad at free kicks.

GHod knows what was in Kane's contract to make him stay with us so long, but it wouldn't be a surprise if in included, must start every game, and must take every free kick and penalty.

 

[Spur of the moment]

GHod knows what was in Kane's contract to make him stay with us so long, but it wouldn't be a surprise if in included, must start every game, and must take every free kick and penalty.

Didn't need to be in any contract. For a start, who else would have been better at taking penalties?

As for free kicks, after Eriksen, whenever we did rotate them the takers were no better.

And please tell me who it was that should have started ahead of Kane because he had a better strike rate?

Thank GHod you don't pick them team!

 

[Jurgen the German]

Yep, it's good for Salah that he's in the same company alright.

Sonny is streaky. But he's consistently streaky so over the period of a season, he will deliver a certain (and impressive) amount. It's why you don't drop him because, at some point, he will turn it around and deliver.

I think streaky should apply more to players like Defoe rather than Son who gets 15-20 league goals most seasons and more often than not isn’t deployed as a central striker. Most strikers have up and down periods unless you’re Erling Haaland. Son is more consistent than he was say 6-7 years ago so personally I don’t think it’s a fair tag to put on him anymore.

 

[Jurgen the German]

We haven't really had a free kick specialist since Eriksen, who scored 8 in the PL for us, but Sonny scores quite a few for South Korea, so would be my first choice. Why Harry was allowed to continue taking them is a mystery! For such a great player, he is shockingly bad at free kicks.

Stature. Seniority. Club captain etc. Can’t be down to anything else.

 

[Muttley]

I think streaky should apply more to players like Defoe rather than Son who gets 15-20 league goals most seasons and more often than not isn’t deployed as a central striker. Most strikers have up and down periods unless you’re Erling Haaland. Son is more consistent than he was say 6-7 years ago so personally I don’t think it’s a fair tag to put on him anymore.

When we get to the next level, I guess you need more than just goals from these guys though. Sonny is actually streaky in the 90 mins. He can be a complete non-entity for large parts of the game. When he is deployed on the left, he also switches off defensively and ball watches when he should be getting in a better area to help his defenders.

He's still the one you want the chance to fall to though.

 

[DeanoAustin]

I think streaky should apply more to players like Defoe rather than Son who gets 15-20 league goals most seasons and more often than not isn’t deployed as a central striker. Most strikers have up and down periods unless you’re Erling Haaland. Son is more consistent than he was say 6-7 years ago so personally I don’t think it’s a fair tag to put on him anymore.

It’s a fair argument and fair summary. I guess he’s still known as streaky as the difference between his good games and bad games is vast. He goes from looking world class to Sunday League at times.

 

[Lemonade Money]

Didn't need to be in any contract. For a start, who else would have been better at taking penalties?

As for free kicks, after Eriksen, whenever we did rotate them the takers were no better.

And please tell me who it was that should have started ahead of Kane because he had a better strike rate?

Thank GHod you don't pick them team!

Penalties is without question, but doesn't mean there wasn't a clause.
Don't remember rotating free kicks with anyone else?
He always seemed to be rushed back after injuries, and he never got rested in lesser games we probably only needed him on the bench. When fit, he was obviously first choice, not the point I was making.

 

[harr1984]

It’s a fair argument and fair summary. I guess he’s still known as streaky as the difference between his good games and bad games is vast. He goes from looking world class to Sunday League at times.

Son most definitely is streaky, you only have to look at when he scores goals - consistently score a load within a period of a month or two and then naff all for a while. Whether that's purely down to confidence or not who knows but he is streaky, blows hot and cold whether looking at it statistically or his general performances on the pitch.

Doesn't have to be dwelt on as much of a criticism though, outside of the truly world class most players are streaky to some extent.....

 

[Kandi1977]

Stature. Seniority. Club captain etc. Can’t be down to anything else.

If that was the case, it's pure negligence by the manager(s)! They should do everything to maximise results.

 

[glasgowspur]

Didn't need to be in any contract. For a start, who else would have been better at taking penalties?

As for free kicks, after Eriksen, whenever we did rotate them the takers were no better.

And please tell me who it was that should have started ahead of Kane because he had a better strike rate?

Thank GHod you don't pick them team!

Dier had a decent free kick on him, and was it Porro who got to take one fk, crashed it against the underside of the bar and was never allowed to take another one.
Son regularly scores fk for his country, kane should not have been anywhere near fks, it's a stain on his legacy.

 

[Kandi1977]

Dier had a decent free kick on him, and was it Porro who got to take one fk, crashed it against the underside of the bar and was never allowed to take another one.
Son regularly scores fk for his country, kane should not have been anywhere near fks, it's a stain on his legacy.

Porro has taken several since then.

 

[Kandi1977]

To be fair, Maddison has 15 goals from direct free kicks in his career, but most of them are pre 2020 in the championship and lower, so GK probably not as good as in the PL. That said, can't remember him even getting one on target for us?

 

[Muttley]

Dier had a decent free kick on him, and was it Porro who got to take one fk, crashed it against the underside of the bar and was never allowed to take another one.
Son regularly scores fk for his country, kane should not have been anywhere near fks, it's a stain on his legacy.

Kane taking free-kicks spoke so much to the broken football culture in our club at that time. Clearly there was no level playing field or meritocracy in operation throughout the squad. Kane was grabbing the ball and even pushing his team mates out of the way and then hitting it into the wall or the stand. It spoke volumes to how selfish he had become in our shirt. He was just going after the goal records, but wouldn't show for the ball or even compete for headers with his back to goal. He'd go through the motions.

I was shocked guys like Jose and Conte didn't put that guy back in his box.

 

[glasgowspur]

Porro has taken several since then.

Not while Harry was here.

 

[Raziel]

To be fair, Maddison has 15 goals from direct free kicks in his career, but most of them are pre 2020 in the championship and lower, so GK probably not as good as in the PL. That said, can't remember him even getting one on target for us?

Keeper saved one off Maddison recently (was on target)

 

[parklane1]

Kane was crap at free kicks for sure, and it shows that the managers at the time had no control of him during games. IF they told him to not take them we may have scored a few of them.

 

[Spur of the moment]

harr1984 said: 'Son most definitely is streaky'

I'd say Son is no more streaky than most strikers. It's not even as though he's a striker as such. A big part of his role is also to set others up.

Even Haaland has barren streaks, it's just that he's more prolific when he goes on a run of scoring. But that's partly because, unlike Son, he is an out-and-out striker whose only job is to put the ball in the back of the net; partly, because, unlike Son, he plays for an outstanding team and partly because, unlike Son, when it comes to scoring goals he is an absolute freak!

Here is a profile of the scoring record game-by-game for each of the PL top scorers in season 2023/24. It includes every competitive club appearance by each player, in no particular order, showing for each appearance either the number of goals scored or an asterisk for when they drew a blank..

So here's your challenge. Without checking the records,

- can you tell which one is Son?

- can you sort the letters roughly in order of streakiness, starting with which you think is the least streaky

- where do YOU think Son fits in the streakiness rankings?


Player A
1 * 1 * * * * * 1 1 * * 1 1 * * 1 * 1 * * 2 * * 1 2 * * 1 * * * * * * 1 1 2 3 * 4 * * * 1 * 1 *

Player B
* * * * 3 * 2 1 * 1 1 * * * 1 * 1 * 1 * 1 1 1 * * * 1 * 1 * * *

Player C
* 2 * * 1 3 1 * 1 * * * 1 2 2 * 2 2 1 1 * * * * 2 * * 1 * 5 1 1 * * * 1 * 1 * 1 4 * 2 * *

Player D
1 * * * 1 * 1 1 * * 1 * * * 2 * 1 * 1 3 1 * * 1 1 * * 1 * * * 1 1 * * 1 1 * * * 1 *

Player E
2 * * * 1 1 1 * * 2 * * 1 1 * * * * * 1 1 2 1 * * * * 1 1 * 2 1 * 2 * 2 1 * * 1

Player F
* * * * * * * * 1 * * 1 * * 1 1 1 * * 1 1 * * * * * 1 1 * 2 * * * 3 * 1 * * 1 2 * * * 3 1 * * 2 * 1 * 2 *

Player G
1 * 1 1 * 1 1 * * 1 * * 1 1 * 1 * 1 * * 1 1 1 * * 1* * * * * 2 * * * 1 * 1 * * * 1 * *

Player H
* 1 * 1 * 1 1 * * 2 2 1 1 * * * 2 * 1 * * 1 * 1 1 * 2 1 * * 1 1 1 * 1 * * 1 * * * 1 * *

Player J
* 1 * 1 * * 1 1 1 * * * * * * 1 * * 1 1 * * * * * 1 * * 1 1 2 2 * 1 * * * * 1 1 * * * * 1 1 *

Player K
* * 3 * * * * * 1 * 3 * * 1 1 1 1 * * 1 * * * * * * 1 1 * * 2 1 2 * * 1 * * 2 1 1 * * * 1 * * * *

Have fun!

 

[Lilbaz]

harr1984 said: 'Son most definitely is streaky'

I'd say Son is no more streaky than most strikers. It's not even as though he's a striker as such. A big part of his role is also to set others up.

Even Haaland has barren streaks, it's just that he's more prolific when he goes on a run of scoring. But that's partly because, unlike Son, he is an out-and-out striker whose only job is to put the ball in the back of the net; partly, because, unlike Son, he plays for an outstanding team and partly because, unlike Son, when it comes to scoring goals he is an absolute freak!

Here is a profile of the scoring record game-by-game for each of the PL top scorers in season 2023/24. It includes every competitive club appearance by each player, in no particular order, showing for each appearance either the number of goals scored or an asterisk for when they drew a blank..

So here's your challenge. Without checking the records,

- can you tell which one is Son?

- can you sort the letters roughly in order of streakiness, starting with which you think is the least streaky

- where do YOU think Son fits in the streakiness rankings?


Player A
1 * 1 * * * * * 1 1 * * 1 1 * * 1 * 1 * * 2 * * 1 2 * * 1 * * * * * * 1 1 2 3 * 4 * * * 2 1 3 * * 2 1 1 * 2

Player B
1 * * 1 * * 1 * * 1 1 1 * * * 1 * * 1 1 1 * 1 * * * * 1 * 1 * * 2 1 3 * * 2 1 1 * 2

Player C
2 * * 1 3 1 1 * 1 * * * 1 2 2 1 * * * * 2 * * 1 * 5 1 1 * * * 1 * 1 * 1 4 * 2 * *

Player D
1 * * * 1 * 1 1 * * 1 * * * 2 * 1 * 1 3 1 * * 2 * * 1 * * * 1 1 * * 1 1 * * * 1 *

Player E
2 * * * 1 * * 1 1 1 * * 1 1 * * * * * 1 1 2 1 * * * * 1 2 * 2 1 * 2 * 2 1 * * 1

Player F
* * * * * * * 1 * * 1 * * 1 1 1 * * 1 1 * * * * * 1 1 * 2 * * * 3 * 1 * * 1 2 * * 3 1 * * 2 * 1 * 2

Player G
1 * 1 1 * 1 1 * * 1 * * 1* * 1 1 * 1 * 1 * * 1 1 1 * * 1 * * * * * 1 * * 1 1 * * * 1 *

Player H
* 1 * 1 * 1 1 * * 2 2 1 1 * * * 2 * 1 * * 1 * 1 1 * 2 1 * * 1 1 1 * 1 * * 1 * * *

Player J
1 * 1 * * * 1 1 1 * * * * * * 1 * * 1 1 * * * * * 1 * * 1 1 2 2 * 1 * * * * 1 1 *

Player K
* 3 * * * * * * 1 * 3 * * 1 1 1 1 * * 1 * * * * * * 1 1 * * 2 1 2 * * 1 * * 2 1 1 * * * 1 * * * *

Have fun!

None of them. Unless we are going bacck a few years. He hasn't scored more than 17 in a season since 21/22.